Help with an old subwoofer

[Dave Bagwill]

I bought this righteous subwoofer and the matched satellite speakers a long time ago - maybe 30 years. The s/w gets the signal first and takes it's share, then passes the trebles to the sats, together they work very well.

The s/w side port has disintegrated, robbing the enclosure of its ability to produce the good bass.

I'm not sure what the material was - it had a thin perimeter and a firm interior, that bellowed in an out with the bass notes. It seemed to be very integral to the sound, and the company is long gone so I cannot find a part no.

Any ideas on how to revive this old soldier?

[John Link]

Dave,

Take it to a place where they repair speakers (replace surrounds, re-cone, etc.). They should be able to advise and may even have a useable part either in stock or they can get.

JBL made, then discontinued, the ES 150, which is a very good sub for the money. You should be able to get one on Craigslist for about $75, more on eBay. Subs of all sorts are listed on shopgoodwill.com and many vendors will ship.

Blew up the top picture and it may have been a passive radiator, not a port. There are a lot of those around to choose from, you just need one of the right compliance. Again, the repair shop should be able to advise.

[Dave Bagwill]

Ah - that's what I was looking for - the words 'passive radiator' - that's exactly what it was, thanks John.

The couple places in town here are pretty good with car speakers.

[Dave Bagwill]

John - if you get a minute - is this the type of thing you are talking about?

http://www.speakerworks.com/10_passive_ ... kpas10.htm

Thanks

[John Link]

Assuming the thing with the tape hanging off it in the background is what originally was in the center of the empty hole. Did it originally sit there, with the outer ring gradually disintegrating until it all fell off? Was the tape to help hold it on? If yes, the new surround would restore the system to functionality, much closer to specs than the tape plus decayed foam did. How close to original specs is another question, depending on the compliance of the new surround compared to the original. Most people are satisfied with hearing the thump, when it comes to subs. From the looks of things, it was not thumping too well as it came apart. And it went from functioning as a closed box (more or less) to a ported (more or less) system. Clearly, it was not designed for the latter.

[John Link]

Dave,

Thought about this some more. It does looks like the original radiator is pretty much shot. For a few bucks more you can have this (assuming you need a 10 inch - they have others sizes as well).

http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-aud ... r--295-494

Parts Express says it is a general purpose replacement, ready to drop in, not fuss, no muss. It has a rubber surround, which is more durable than foam. You can add mass to fiddle with the response if you like. The reviewers have used it in a number of different subs and report good results. You could call PE and they should give you good advice, or you can type in your questions from the page.

I recently restored a pair of vintage Klipsch Heresys and lined them with acoustic foam I got from PE and found their service and product to be excellent. A lot of pros use them. (Original Heresys didn't have acoustic linings, but should have.)

[Dave Bagwill]

Ah - we just crossed emails. I was going to send the following, but with your advice I will order the part from parts express. Thanks a bunch!


What I was going to send:
I should explain the tape - not knowing anything about passive radiators at the time, when the old one fell apart and I noticed the drastic drop in performance, I cut a piece of cardboard to approximate size and just taped it on as an experiment. It really moved under a load, so I figured that the piece was very important.

I don't listen for thump - I do like a defined, acoustic sound to bass notes as notes, not just a thump. This s/w is able to do that.